A magnitude 6.8 earthquake rattled Tonga in the early hours of Wednesday morning, November 25 but there were no immediate reports of damage from the quake which was felt with a moderate intensity in Tongatapu and Ha'apai.

The quake was felt at at 01.47:16 am local time in Tonga.

The quake woke residents in Nuku'alofa and in Pangai, some of whom ran outside. There were no immediate reports of damage. Dogs barked while houses and shelves rattled for a few seconds.

Recorded by the US Geological Survey, at 12:47:16 UTC, the moderate intensity quake was located at a depth of 62km, to the east of Tonga. The epicenter was at 20.713S, 173.432W, a distance of 193km from Nuku'alofa and 237 km from Neiafu, Tonga.

The USGS also recorded two further earthquakes in Tonga of magnitude 5.6 at 2:04 am located 130km ENE of Nuku'alofa at a depth of 10km, ; and magnitude 5.1 at 2:32 am located 160km NE of Nuku'alofa at a depth of 10km .